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UK: No more Mr Nice over drug claims
Northern Echo
Monday 18 Sep 2006 CELEBRITY drug smuggler Howard Marks has been barred from a North-East council's premises after appearing to smoke cannabis during a one-man show. A member of the audience handed what looked like a joint of cannabis to Mr Marks during his show at the Gala Theatre, in Durham City, on Saturday. Mr Marks, nicknamed Mr Nice - the title of his autobiography -was released in 1995 after serving seven years in a US jail of a 25-year sentence for smuggling cannabis and believes the drug should be legalised. David Taylor, 30, from Manchester, who went to the Gala show with a friend from the North-East, said: "About 20 minutes into the show, someone ran up and gave him a spliff, which he smoked. That didn't shock me. It would have shocked me more if he hadn't." But Mr Marks later had to ask the audience not to smoke after others were spotted lighting their own joints. Mr Taylor said he saw people lighting what could have been joints and he could smell the drug in the bar during the interval. He then saw police officers, called by theatre staff, remove two people who interrupted the show. He said: "After the interval, Howard Marks came on stage and asked people not to smoke in the audience. "He said he was allowed to light things on stage because the theatre was insured for that, but if people smoked in the audience they would be obliged to call the police.'' A Durham City Council spokeswoman, which runs the no-smoking venue, said Mr Marks was no longer welcome. She said: "As soon as it became apparent that smoking was taking place in the auditorium, staff took immediate action, including bringing the performance to a close quickly, closing the bar and calling for police assistance. Five people were removed. "The council in no way condones the behaviour that occurred on Saturday night and we will not be booking Mr Marks into any of our venues again." http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/
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